Books that I’ve loved in ‘22

 Paws by Kate Foster

I’ve got 2, now adult, autistic children and this book make me laugh and cry at its perfection in describing the world through an autistic child’s eye.  It captures the confusion caused by unwritten social conventions, the desire to be “good” but unable to control swirling emotions & the absolute need to talk about special interests. His experiences at school reflect the difficulties autistic children face but done in a non-preachy way by seeing it through his eyes. There were so many times that I thought “Yes, I recognise this”! 

I loved that Alex isn’t portrayed in a heroic way, but as he is, a boy trying his hardest even when he makes mistakes. Likewise his family are allowed to be less than perfect, mum sometimes being tetchy & an older brother who behaves like older brothers do, sometimes kind but sometimes not. However it is clear that this is a family filled with love.

Central to the story is the bond between Alex & his dog, Kevin. Unlike human friendships, this relationship is uncomplicated but Alex wants a human friend before he goes to secondary school. He is sure that he will become popular if only he & Kevin can win a trophy at a dog show. 

All in all, this is a wonderful, funny and heartwarming (but not saccharine sweet) tale which I would have loved to have been able to read with my two when they were younger. Representation is important & this book certainly does this well, not falling into the “inspirational/ overcoming difficulties “ tropes but instead delivering a cracking story with a loveable central character who is,incidentally, autistic. 

A definite yes from me 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️